Heathrow airport (connecting from US to go to Denmark)

Where will you be arriving from? Delta operates from terminals 3 and 4, while British Airways flights to Copenhagen operate from Terminal 5. As Delta do not operate codeshares with BA, that will mean having to buy two separate flight tickets, which will mean having to pass through immigration at Heathrow and collecting bags, making yuor way across the airport, then checking them in again at T5. With that in mind, I would give 5-6 hours for a connection to be on the safe side.

You may be better disposed looking for an airline that will offer a connection. Delta codeshares with Air France-KLM - perhaps you could fly to Paris or Amsterdam and connect there? You will be able to buy an onward connection when booking on the Delta website. Alternatively, do British Airways operate from your local airport? If so, why not book the entire journey through them?

There is an accessible intern-terminal shuttle available on request landside and the regular inter-terminal bus transfers airside are all also accessible.

The journey will need to be on one ticket for checked baggage interlining.

Not to mention that it is a really long walk in T3 until you get to the point where you can get the transfer to T5 - and made worse if they make you go through passport control.

I agree with all the posts above - if there's any way you can avoid this routing, then avoid it. Heathrow is difficult and stressful enough under the best of circumstances. With an 80 year old and two kids, don't add any unnecessary complexity.

If you can post why you are considering going this way (or why you are forced to go this way), then we can give better advice. Where in the US are you starting from?

Argh! Thanks so much for the responses! We're coming from Seattle and my dad already booked the flight to Heathrow using his airline miles... Hence the need to do two phases. There were no flights to DK using miles. Perhaps I'll reach out to Delta for their ideas and consider staying a night near Heathrow so everyone is well rested before the next leg?

I think it is great that your dad has enough miles to take your family to Denmark--or at least as far as London.

When we fly to Europe on separate tickets ( miles ticket to Heathrow and paid flight after that) we like to stop overnight in London (or nerby) rather than try to figure out how much time to allow for the same-day connection, and then stress over making it.

Are you on the direct Seattle to London Delta flight, #36? That one arrives at LHR around 3 pm, so you won't have a lot of time to see London. It might be easier and more restful to head to Windsor for your overnight, unless it is during the time of the Queen's birthday celebrations there in May.

The most convenient way to travel to Windsor from Heathrow would be with pre-booked car service ( with a Windsor company). On another thread about Windsor, Marco advised that this should be around £18. A taxi from the stand is very expensive as it is a London cab traveling out of their area. You can also go by bus or train, but these would be impractical for your group.

Windsor is a nice place to relax after a long flight----walk past the castle, stroll along the river and admire the houseboats. Or cross the bridge and see Eton and the teenage boys dressed in their tailcoats. If you book an afternoon flight to Denmark, you might have time to see the changing of the guard in the morning ( if theybare doing it that day) before you need to return to the airport. There are several nice restaurants inntown from which to choose for your dinner.

I travel frequently with my 87 year old mother. I ALWAYS request a wheelchair for her even when we're flying domestically. She thinks she still exercises a lot (she doesn't) and the walking that is required in airports can be fatiguing for any of us. As other posters have mentioned there are long walks just getting to various points in the international terminals and then there are also long periods of standing to get through immigration. Save your father's stamina for the important parts of the trip and go ahead and order the wheelchair even if you are staying overnight in London. Sell it to him this way --- the wheelchair will whisk all four of you to the front of the line in the following situations: security, boarding and immigration. What's not to love?!?

I'd also recommend ordering one at SEATAC when you get home. We flew past even the folks with Global Entry last week when we came home from Japan...

And, be sure to take care of yourself. After I got Mother home and unpacked after a two-week trip I slept for three days!